We are a group of friends who celebrate a shared interest in WW2 . We aim to organize and attend various WW2 reenactments, engage in high quality living history, educate the public and keep alive the memory of those who made sacrifices during WW2.

As some of you may know, Chris, Ben and I are going to do a stall at Malvern. Iíll be selling various crates. As a result COSTINO industries have been in full swing, Iíve improved my timber cutting lists, improved the stencilling material and with all my previous experience I can now turn around about 12 crates in a day. I can only imagine how many an average worker turned out at the Kellogs depot back in 1944.

Anyhow I thought you might want to take a visual walk through the manufacture process.

Firstly side panels are finished at 8mm thickness, planned on one side and left sawn at the other. I cut them at 22 ľ inches. The end panels are 8 x 1 inch prepared timber cut at 11 5/8 inches. I cut small battens to fix on the underside of the lid.

Once all sections are cut I then begin the process of assembling the crate

I use a centre punch to set in the nails on the side-just like the original.

One the crate sides are made up, i then add the base. Again this is an 8mm thickness timber, cut at 22 ľ inches, I add to that another length of 22 ľ inch timber but this peice is made from a 6 inch wide piece of timber which is cut to size. The stencils are exact copies from the original crate, cut into oil board.

Once stencilled I then have to fill in the gaps left, using blackboard paint and a very thin brush.

The lid is made using same size timber as the base, I affix to two battens using 2 inch long galvanised panel pins, which I set in with a centre punch. When the timber gets wet and swells it conceals this pins quite well-even after the timber has dried again

I use a pair of bolt croppers to cut down the nails, so as to set in ďfalse nailsĒ into the lid. I centre punch these like the original crate.

And thatís about it. Then I leave them outside to let nature do the rest, a little sun and rain and itíll darken up to represent the original as it looked in 1944, NOT as it looks 65 years later!!!

I would not mind going to Malvern if I can be off that day, even if it's just to go up to our comrades in arms stall and say..... 'They never wore those...' 'How much....!' 'I'll make you an offer monsiuer...'

I rang Jeeparts re Malvern on Tuesday after speaking with you. They only had 3 stalls left and they were waiting for chequesfor two of them (they don't accept orders over the phone you have to fill out an application form) So sent a cheque Tuesday last post hoping to beat the postal strike.

Ben rang today and we got the last stall. I also got the extra passes we need but they don't send them till nearer the time.

If you get the chance Richard its well worth a visit, Ive always managed to pick up a bargain or one of those must have bits of kit there.